Between Sky and Earth
by Tsumichama
Summary: Interwar aviation AU. The Reds fly over the seas with precious shipments on board. The Blues, from the ground, are there to assist them so they travel safely. Main pairing is Mikorei. Explicit chapter is Ch.3.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! So I was supposed to write a oneshot for Munakata's BD, but then the idea of this fic came up... The other day, I was reading a book on aviation and thought it would make a nice setting for a MikoRei AU. Then I went on tumblr and saw the new poster preview. It begged to be done, I thought, it begged to be done...**

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><p>The day is about to give way to the night but Munakata's shift is not over just yet. First person in charge of planes' departures and arrivals in the Japanese territory, he has to do the survey of flights' schedules, weather conditions and the integrity of planes, so that all that's on board reaches its destination; the shipment, of course, because many lives depend on these medicines, victuals, or even the couriers; but first and foremost, the pilots, because these men who risk their lives have a family, a home to return to.<p>

Today, or rather, tonight, Munakata is waiting for two planes to arrive, one coming home from a mission in the East, and another ground handling from the West and supposed to resume its journey tomorrow.

Aboard the plane supposed to land first is Yatagarasu, HOMRA's crow, a young pilot known for being intrepid, if not careless. Still, he is one of their best pilots.

The person in charge of the maintenance of the planes, Fushimi Saruhiko, is waiting with Munakata. He is a former pilot, actually having joined with Yata, but he has switched sides to be part of the ground personnel. It's not that he was a bad pilot -on the contrary, but Munakata had noticed his talents for bricolage and everything related to technologies and proposed him to join the Blues. The boy, who wasn't very satisfied of his job then, didn't need much convincing.

Yata's landing has been scheduled for about half an hour from now and there has been no communication telling otherwise, meaning that all has been going well. Still, Fushimi has been pacing up and down the landing strip like a future father waiting in the hallway of the delivery room, fearing that his wife and baby will never come back to him alive.

Looking at him, Munakata wonders why he seems so worried. No news is good news says the proverb, but then again, he considers that, having been a pilot himself, Fushimi must know better that things can go from better to worse in the blink of an eye.

The teen is not supposed to be on duty tonight, so it is even more intriguing to see him here. He obviously doesn't look like he wants to be distracted from his preoccupations, but an unwelcoming facade has never been an obstacle for Munakata when he's decided to cheer on his subordinates.

"Fushimi-kun," he calls, only to be welcomed with a scowl, but he doesn't relent just yet. "I'm sure your former friend is going to return safe and sound, so you need not to worry so much."

"I'm not worried about that virgin," the other counters.

_I'm not asking about your sexual lives, or lack of, as it is, _is what Munakata wants to reply, but then he recalls that he is there to comfort the grumpy boy and decides against the teasing. "Then, for what reason have you been going back and forth on the strip since earlier?"

"If that airhead damages his plane, I'm the one who's going to have to repair it," Fushimi says, looking away.

"But it would be cut from his bonus." It is Munakata's way of telling that the boy has no reason to act carelessly.

Fushimi snickers at that intuiting Munakata that he's at least managed to distract him a little, "Heh, the idiot has already enough trouble as it is paying for his rent so what would happen if you cut his paycheck further."

"These are the rules, Fushimi-kun. Pilots must return with their planes unarmed, or else they get sanctions."

"Tsk, this is why members of HOMRA despise the ground personnel. You just don't understand. It's not like their engines get damaged only because of the pilots. Sometimes it's something that can't be helped."

Munakata _does _understand that much, but he looks at the teen with a penetrating gaze, "Fushimi-kun, we're not here to worry about such details, but to get things _done_. Regardless on who or what the fault lies, if the results are the same, why should the sanctions be different? It is to make sure that they take extra-care of their planes. If because of that we get hate, then again, we aren't here to be loved either. It is all for the greater good. Isn't that why you joined our team?"

"I joined because my skills here aren't wasted like in these planes and with these idiots, no more. I couldn't care less about your 'greater good'."

"Well, that's fine too, as long as you get the job done," Munakata says with a smile. People's motivations do not matter, the ones they claim or the ones they hide. Because Munakata's no fool; if Fushimi wants to put his talent to the _best_ use, then this place isn't for him. So it's fine if Fushimi is only here so he can look after a certain someone who can't look after himself. He's a skilled mecanician, it's all that matters.

A familiar buzz echoes from the distance, a signal that a plane is approaching. Upon hearing the sound, there's a flash of relief in Fushimi's expression, immediately wiped to give way to a wide smirk, leaving no trace of the sight of that future father pacing outside a delivery room.

Munakata too feels relieved, of course, because every plane that returns safely is a new victory, and every plane lost to the unforgiving sea a defeat, and he's lost enough battles like that…

Minutes later, the engine lands without incident, and the pilot gets off the cockpit, leaving his plane to the care of the Blues, without even sparing them a look. When the crow sees Fushimi, with his smirk still firmly plastered on his face, he seems reluctant to move in his direction; he apparently didn't take Fushimi's change of clan very well. Still, Fushimi's stationed at the only exit of the airfield, so Yata has no choice but to go meet him. When he arrives before Fushimi, the taller boy leans toward him and drawls, "Miisaakii, haven't you got _shorter_ while you were away?"

"How many times will I have to tell you to stop calling me like that?!" shouts Yata. "And what are you saying, anyway, you stupid Monkey, people don't just become shorter like that!"

"Well, sure, ordinary people don't," the mechanic admits. "But the pressure of landings and takeoffs, and your stupid brain… maybe they all contributed to make it happen."

"Haaaah? What does my brain have to do with that?!" the crow exclaims, and Munakata, who can hear their conversation, thinks that he is right, but still finds it amusing that he seems to find it normal that 'stupid' has been appended to his brain…

Yata shakes his head and continues, "I think you're losing it, Monkey." He then takes a closer look at his former comrade, "And you, haven't you become paler, now?"

"Tsk, how should I know…"

"You're totally paler, Saru," the redhead insists. "That's what you get from staying indoors too much. Serves you right for leaving HOMRA! You'll end up as white as a ghost at this rate, I tell ya!"

"White as a ghost?" Fushimi snorts, "Then maybe I should do just that so I could scare you like the poltroon you are~. Because you're afraid of ghosts, eh, Miisaakii?"

"You won't say that when you're so sick you can't even get out of bed!" Yata protests, ignoring Fushimi's implication of him being a coward. "And I bet you're still having that shitty diet of yours, aren't you, Monkey?"

"What I eat is none of your business, stupid," the other teen answers with a scowl.

"Well, I hate to admit it but you took pretty good care of my plane the other day, so I owe you one. And in return, I'll treat you some real food, Monkey, don't thank me." And as he says this, he drags Fushimi out of the facility.

"Hah? I don't need your gratitude, you idiot," the Blue mumbles, but follows him anyway.

Munakata watches them walking away and thinks that people have indeed various ways of showing their concern, and those two have particularly curious ones. But as long as it works, somehow, Munakata won't complain. Happy subordinates are effective subordinates, so really, it works well for him.

Munakata returns to his office after that one successful outcome. There's still about an hour before the next plane arrives, and if nothing happens, he is intending to use that time doing some puzzles. The day has been full of anguish and he feels like he could use some distraction now.

His hopes are deceived, though, when he finds his second-in-command, Awashima Seri, waiting for him in his office. It's not that he dislikes her company or anything, but it's just that he knows that she never personally comes unless something serious has happened. He can't help swallowing a little before speaking, "What are your reports, Awashima-kun?"

"Sir," she starts after saluting, "I came to inform you that Suoh Mikoto's plane is going to be delayed by about an hour."

At the word 'delayed', Munakata lets out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. Delays, even if they strain even further their schedule which is already hard enough to handle as it is, are still victories in their own way. The shipment still reaches its destination, and the pilot still gets to come back alive. "Is that so… And what is the reason for that contretemps?" he asks after a moment, but finds that it doesn't really matter as long as the plane eventually arrives.

"It seems that the pilot had to delay his departure because of strong winds."

"I see." It's a quite common occurence, actually. "But you didn't need to bother personally giving me that information, you know?"

She then looks at Munakata and answers, "I just thought that maybe you would want to know. Aboard this plane are important things after all."

While Munakata considers that, indeed, the shipment in that one plane is particularly important, by Awashima's gaze, he has the impression that it's _not_ what she's talking about. He doesn't dwell on the thought though, and thanks Awashima for coming to inform him.

Before the blonde leaves, Munakata tells her, "I shall handle the rest for tonight, Awashima-kun, so you can go home now. Transmit my salutations to Kusanagi-kun, he hasn't been around for a while."

She blushes at that last part and barely manages to salute him before exiting the room hurriedly.

Munakata smiles, thinking that it's good to know that there are reds and blues who are able to get along. If everyone could be like that, it would surely improve the performances of both parties and he decides that he'll organize an event that would ease that reconciliation. He then settles on his desk to finally give some attention to his puzzles.

After several moments, he finds that he isn't able to concentrate, always glances outside the window tapping on the table with a piece of his puzzle, on the lookout for any movement in the sky. When he realizes what he is doing, he thinks about Fushimi earlier, when he had been waiting for Yata's plane. Then he recalls how Awashima sounded like she wasn't talking about the cargo when she mentioned the _important_ things in the plane…

A sound, the purring of a motor doesn't let him make the connection between these two thoughts. He immediately breathes a sigh of relief at the sound, gets up and moves to meet the newcomer.

He's smiling, on the way. He makes the review of this long day: two victories, _zero defeats_, and prays the gods that every coming day could be like today...


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry this took so long orz  
>This said, enjoy!<strong>

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><p>During his flights, Suoh Mikoto has developped the habit of thinking about the past, because what else can you do when alone in the sky? It is this tranquility and relative idleness that makes him like this job so much, along with the impression of freedom that flying gives.<p>

But alas, such times do not always bring back good memories; painful ones too.

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><p>It's been almost a year now since the day Totsuka died in that accident. It was painfully ironic, really, because at that time, the war had just ended, and the Air Forces had been assigned to the transporting of strategic goods, a much less dangerous deed than that of a bomber's or a scout's.<p>

He was flying a prototype plane, and that was when things went wrong. As the investigation went by, it was found out that the plane had been sabotaged.

The researcher who had elaborated the new engine, a certain Isana, then accused the slackness of the surveillance of the facilities.

It was true that the security level had been reduced after things settled down when peace was established. Still, it was unlikely for any unauthorized person to having been able to access the hangars; Suoh always calls Munakata a stuck-in-the-mud but his stubbornness to stick to drastic rules when it comes to the equipment ensured as much.

This naturally drew the suspicions on the researcher himself, since no one could have touched the plane after him. Besides, the guy had a motive: Munakata had rejected some of his engines, deeming the weapons too brutal. Munakata wasn't one to tolerate a victory gained without honor, a value that all the men under him shared (and it was probably the only thing he and Munakata agreed with, then) Isana, took the rejection as a personal offense and had begrudged Munakata since then. The blow of a pilot's death was a perfect occasion to ruin Munakata's reputation.

When proof confirming the scientist's guilt was established and an arrest warrant was issued against him, Isana took to his heels but several men were sent in his pursuit.

However, even with the warrant and the number of men sent after him, there still reigned an atmosphere of unease among the pilots -and even the Blues, actually. Isana's actions were tantamount to high treason, and should therefore have been punished with death. But the man was an excellent researcher, an irreplaceable one, even, so there was little doubt that the higher-ups, to keep him, would make for a much lighter sentence, and the unit found that unacceptable.

Suoh, more than anyone else couldn't accept the situation. He felt that part of Totsuka's death was his fault because the guy had joined the forces to follow Suoh after he'd heard about his exploits. But Totsuka wasn't made for this life; he was too soft, too naïve to enter the armed forces. Suoh and Kusanagi had always known that, and they'd warned him when he talked about swelling their ranks, but to no avail. He'd insisted that it would be fine, that he wanted to serve his country just like Suoh.

He learned later that Totsuka wasn't the only one who'd joined after hearing of his prowess; Yata and Fushimi too, and if he had known earlier, he'd have told them that if it was glory they sought, it wasn't worth throwing their lives away in a meaningless cause such as war.

But it was exactly what Totsuka did in the end, and it was Suoh's fault for not being able to convince him, so he felt it was his duty to personally make sure that the bastard who killed him would pay with his _life. _

During his quest for vengeance, fate had served him well -as if it approved of his actions- so he managed to find Isana first. The ensuing fight hadn't lasted long and he was still gazing at the murderer's corpse when the men charged of Isana's arrest found him, subsequently making them switch their target to Suoh for taking the law into his own hands.

Suoh had known that it would have come to that when he'd decided to chase after the guy, he'd known that it was martial court he risked but he _had _to do it, and was prepared for the worst.

What he didn't expect when he returned to the base was to have _Munakata_ cover for him.

"I ordered him to go after the culprit and bring him back, _dead_ or alive," he'd said. "So I'll take full responsibility for this."

Suoh was astonished when he heard that. Out of all people, Munakata was the last person he thought he'd find in his camp; they were far from being friends. Munakata despised Suoh for his sluggishness and his repeated irresponsible actions during his missions (even if these were the very reasons for his remarkable success); Suoh on the other hand found Munakata's attachment to decorum and his too rigid leadership annoying to no end and neither ever bothered to hide this animosity to the other.

Suoh therefore wanted to say something when Munakata took his defense, but Munakata shoot him a glare that was clearly meant to compel him to silence until the other agents had left the room after freeing him first.

When they were alone, Suoh finally asked for an explanation, "You do realize you're risking big for that little heroic action of yours?"

It wasn't Suoh's intention then to show ingratitude to Munakata, he just really couldn't see why Munakata had done such a thing for him. While it was Munakata's right to initiate this chase as both the culprit and the victim were under his supervision, the superiors wouldn't easily forgive the death of their precious scientist, so Munakata was clearly compromising his chances of ascension there.

"I fail to see where the heroism in that action lays," Munakata merely replied. "And just so you know, I didn't do it for you."

The thought never crossed Suoh's mind, actually. There was no sort of sympathy between them, then, and Munakata was too impartial, anyway to do that for the sake of any individual. Suoh didn't reply anything, but still gave Munakata a questioning look that the latter met with an unreadable one.

After a while of scrutinizing each other, Munakata finally spoke, "It may be hard to believe but I think you did the right thing there. If Isana Yashiro had been caught by those men instead of you, he would have never received the fair retribution to his crimes. The law states that the punishment for such treason is death, but you and I know that the higher-ups would have gotten around the law to preserve their asset. So what you did was the only way to do justice to Totsuka Tatara."

Munakata paused at that, but Suoh still didn't say anything so he continued, "And you said I'm putting my career at risk by covering for your action, but what kind of leader would I be if I let my men pay for something I approve of, anyway? You did the exact same thing when you went and executed that man, so I believe you can understand that."

With that, Munakata walked past Suoh and left him appalled by Munakata's revelation. It was then that he realized that, however differently they acted, they still felt the same sort of responsibility toward the men who followed them...

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><p>Suoh is at this point of his reminiscences when he hears the radio tell him that he is allowed to land and indeed, he can now see the landing strip. There's a warm feeling building in his chest then, at the thought of coming home after days of absence as he executes the all too familiar manipulations to bring his plane to the ground.<p>

Among the people who were waiting for his arrival, he can see Munakata and surprisingly, the guy looks almost happy to see him.

"You're late," he says by way of greeting.

...Yes, _almost_ happy. Suoh was a fool for hoping to hear him say something like "Welcome back," or any friendly salutation, really. Munakata is Munakata, his annoying stuck-in-the-mud supervisor, and there is nothing to be done about that. Suoh sighs and answers, "If you've checked your information properly, you should know that I had to delay my departure."

"It doesn't change the fact that you're late. And rules say that pilots must respect the flight schedules."

_There we go again, _Suoh thinks, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable argument. "Fuck the rules," he retorts, "you should be happy I arrived during the night, I could have not arrived at all, the sky still looked pretty bad when I took off."

"You can 'fuck' the rules if you want," Munakata says (and Suoh can't help the amused grin on his face as he sees that Munakata almost _spat_ the offending word like it physically hurt him), "but you still have your late penalties and a report to write about it."

"So what should have I done, then?" Suoh asks, curious to hear what clever answer Munakata will find.

"You should have arrived on time," he deadpans.

"It was impossible."

"I know," Munakata admits with a bitter smile. "But you should have tried."

Suoh finally realizes that it's only another of Munakata's torments that he's pouring on Suoh. A torment about rules that he knows are at times unfair but are necessary for the unit to run smoothly. _This conversation is getting nowhere_, Suoh concludes internally, and it is equally annoying for the two of them so he lets out a second sigh and puts a hand on Munakata's shoulder, taking his leave, "If you'll excuse me, I have a report to write, then."

"Make sure you're not late _again _tomorrow, because then you'll have no excuse," Munakata says with a paradoxally grateful look.

Suoh breathes a hollow laugh and with a hand waving Munakata good night, "I won't give you the pleasure of making me write two reports."

When he enters Bar HOMRA, he sees Awashima at the counter, sipping a suspicious looking purple drink with Kusanagi looking at her with a funny disgusted smile.

_Some people sure are carefree, _Suoh thinks when he sees the pair. Kusanagi has quit the job of pilot to come back to his previous occupation before the war started to be able to take care of a young girl left to their care, Anna, and he certainly looks happier now. Awashima too, actually; she no longer has that worried expression she'd always wear when Kusanagi was on a mission back then.

Neither of them seems to have noticed Suoh's entrance so Suoh coughs to attract their attention. Awashima looks back and when she sees him, greets him with a nod, and Kusanagi with a cheerful grin, "Ah, Mikoto, welcome back! How was your flight?"

"Fine. But Munakata gave me a report to write for one damn hour of delay," Suoh says in an annoyed tone.

The barman just laughs at this, "The boss ain't going easy on you, eh? Well then, we won't keep you any longer."

Suoh takes his leave and heads to his room to write the goddman report, but not intending to spend more time than necessary on it (_less_ than necessary is what he actually gives it, but Munakata can't be waiting for more from him anyway, he thinks)

When he's done, he thinks about getting a drink at the bar but doesn't feel like playing Kusanagi and Awashima's chaperon.

He settles for going to another bar instead and when he sees Munakata inside, he is less surprised to find him here (since Suoh knows he comes here often) than to feel that warm feeling in his chest again at the sight of Munakata.

Since Totsuka's incident, traces of animosity between him and Munakata had slowly faded. They'd become able to hold _relatively_ civil conversations on their impromptu but ironically frequent meetings on public places, unlike before when they'd ignore each other(but never leaving the place, they were too proud -or stubborn- to do that pleasure to the other). As they came to understand each other's situation better, they learned that they didn't need to put on facades around each other outside of work, so they started to seek the other's company. After a particularly drunken night, it even turned into a physical relationship that quickly became nearly as regular as their meetings, as they mutually decided that such a relationship was practical for them. Suoh knows Munakata is an extravagant sadist with a tendency for blabbering, Munakata on the other hand knows Suoh is a barbarian with no regards for appearances, so they have no delusions about each other, and do not have to hide anything either. A perfect situation for casual sex buddies.

When Suoh sees Munakata at that bar, he thinks it's his chance. He hasn't had any since he started his current mission, and its next part should last another week, so this occasion is god-sent, truly. He makes his way to sit next to Munakata who still hasn't seen him come in.

"Same as this guy's," Suoh orders to the barman, pointing at Munakata with a movement of his head.

At hearing Suoh's voice, Munakata lets a slight twitch of brows escape his usually imperturbable composure. With a long-suffering sigh and a side glance, "And here I was having a very nice evening... Why did you have to come here and ruin it?"

"I have the right to come here if I want. I believe you don't own this bar, Munakata."

"No, I don't. But I recall _you_ do live in a bar, so I fail to see why you would come here to have a drink, unless to purposely bother me."

"Don't get too full of yourself_._ The heartless woman is there with Kusanagi. Just didn't feel like playing the third-heel."

Munakata just gives him a "Oh" as a reply, and his experience serving, Suoh knows that when Munakata doesn't demonstrate his usual volubility, it means that he's quite drunk already. He smirks, because this will make his seduction scheme much easier. "Munakata," he calls.

"Hum?" the other replies abstenly, staring at his half-emptied glass.

"If you really don't like me here, there's a way to make me leave in an instant."

Still not looking at Suoh, "And what would that be?"

Suoh leans in to whisper at Munakata's ear, "Well, it all depends on you. You could invite me to your place and we'd continue this um... _discussion_ there."

Munakata finally turns to look at him, and their faces are really close now. He can feel people staring, but neither he or Munakata seem to care. Munakata takes a moment before saying haughtily, "Still lacking subtlety in your speech, as always, huh, Suoh Mikoto?"

"No news for you there, " Suoh replies, witholding Munakata's look. "So?"

Munakata finishes his drink in one gulp. As he stands, obviously to take his leave, Suoh is already celebrating victory in his mind.

"Fine," the bluenette says. "But since I'm _inviting _you to my place, it's only fair that you invite me for this turn, right?"

It's Suoh's turn to give a look of surprise at that, quickly followed by a laugh and he pays heartily. _What a sly bastard, _he thinks but he reasons that the night promises to be a lot of _fun _anyway, so he actually gains on the exchange, really.

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><p><strong>We all know what's going to happen on the next chapter, right? *winks*<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys!  
>... ... ... I know, I'm late *again* orz<strong>

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><p>On the way to Munakata's apartment, neither of them speaks, but the silence isn't uncomfortable. Talking isn't exactly in their habits, after all, not when Munakata has nothing to reproach Suoh, and Suoh's doing nothing to annoy him at the moment. Not that he isn't tempted to. An annoyed Munakata in bed tends to show a lot less restraint and is thus a lot more fun to deal with.<p>

For now, though, Suoh is holding back, because they're in public and if he does anything, Munakata'll complain about Suoh ruining his image (as if being seen drunk in a bar was good for his image, anyway, but Suoh'll never understand Munakata's reasoning) Munakata would send him home for that stupid reason, and that'll result in no fun _at all_.

When they enter the apartment building, out of prying eyes, Suoh gives in to the temptation and loops an arm around Munakata's shoulders, smirking. As expected, Munakata brushes his arm off. "Don't just use people to support your drunken gait," he snaps and Suoh huffs.

"You're the most wasted one here," he teases.

"I'm doing very well, thank you," is what Munakata protests and he speeds up his pace.

Suoh follows but doesn't add anything. _That'll be enough, _he thinks and when they get inside the apartment, Suoh only has time to remove his shoes then Munakata's already forcibly pinning him to the front door from behind.

Suoh smirks, "So impatient."

Munakata apparently intends to do it here, in the entryway. That's definitely an imprudent thing to do, provided that someone who passes by might hear them from outside. Not that _Suoh_ minds, really. He's not the one who's worried about his public image, after all, and it's not even _his_ apartment. He won't be confronted to the neighbors' impish eyes every day, so if anything, Munakata's shooting himself in the foot here. He's about to warn Munakata but the sadist is now carelessly tugging at his uniform jacket with enough force to tear the material. So instead of his initial considerate intention, Suoh says, "And _I_'m the barbarian," but Munakata's apparently not in the mood for bickering now, so Suoh obligingly helps him remove the jacket.

When it's finally off, he feels Munakata's mouth –rather, his teeth, on his nape while Munakata's hands roam over his chest then over his hips before finally unbuckling his belt. With one hand still at Suoh's hips and his teeth still at his neck, he sneaks his other hand into Suoh's boxers to take hold of his cock and stroke him to full hardness. The bite doesn't really hurt; even feels rather pleasurable, especially with Munakata's hand working on his lower-half, so he hums his contentment and leans his head against the wall.

He vaguely feels the hand that was keeping him steady leave his hips, then he hears a ruffle of clothes, then a metallic sound –probably Munakata's belt buckle, and his hand's on Suoh's hips again, tugging him backward and Suoh can feel Munakata's hard-on against his ass despite of the fabric of Munakata's boxers. Suoh grins and presses harder against Munakata, which earns him a harsh breath from his partner.

He prompts Munakata to get rid of the boxers, too, by reaching behind him to pull at the hem. Munakata complies, and when he presses back again, the sensation of skin against skin makes Suoh's arousal rise even further. Munakata starts thrusting between Suoh's thighs, his cock brushing against his perineum while his hand keeps on stroking Suoh's shaft and hell, it feels wonderful. Suoh brings his thighs together to increase the friction, making Munakata moan and speed up his thrusts. As Munakata's pleasure escalates, he seems more and more oblivious of Suoh's because his grip on Suoh's cock loosens and he becomes less generous in his strokes. Suoh, though, is too busy reveling at the lewd sounds Munakata's making against his ear to complain about that, feeling a strange sense of pride and an incredible arousal at being able to witness the ever pristine Munakata lose all sense of refinement like that. It's not until Munakata climaxes with another bite to his neck that Suoh remembers his own erection and he grunts his protest when Munakata's hand leaves his rock-hard cock to rest his two hands on Suoh's hips as he steadies his breathing for a moment.

Munakata laughs against his shoulder and Suoh realizes that maybe Munakata wasn't neglecting him because he was too lost in his pleasure but was doing it _on purpose_. He groans an annoyed "Munakata," to which Munakata replies, "That'll teach you."

Suoh wants to object to that but then Munakata's kissing his shoulder and is flipping him around so it's his back now, leaning on the door. Munakata gets on his knees, looking up at Suoh, smirking, and he licks his lips. Suoh immediately forgets about his irritation, attention drawn to Munakata's lips as they close around his tip. Despite having his mouth full, Suoh can tell Munakata's still smirking, and Suoh finds himself unable to return it despite wanting to. He's aware that his expression now resembles more a grimace than a grin as Munakata takes more of his length and starts alternately sucking and licking. Suoh swallows hard, fighting the urge to thrust and he brings a hand to Munakata's hair, just to have something to grip to. Munakata doesn't seem to mind and his fingers are now fondling Suoh's balls. Suoh knows he's getting close, and Munakata, too, can feel it, so he focuses back on the tip of his cock. When Suoh finally comes, Munakata pulls back and uses his hand to spend Suoh completely before falling back to sit on the entryway's wooden step when Suoh collapses on the floor. Their eyes are still locked on each other's and Suoh's finally able to smirk back at Munakata.

As his eyes wander down to Munakata's chest, then abdomen, he can see that Munakata's half-hard now, making his smirk grow wider. "So sucking me off was turning you on, huh? I'm flattered, Munakata."

Munakata doesn't seem embarrassed in the least, and with a grin as wide as Suoh's, "Well, it was quite alluring, you looked so… _docile_ under my touch, after all."

Suoh laughs at that. Of course the sadistic bastard would say that. Munakata loves dominating other people -or is it just Suoh? But he's not the only one there, and he's had enough fun as it is, so it's Suoh's turn now. He crawls to Munakata, "Surely not as alluring as _you_ look when you're writhing under me, though."

Suoh puts his hands on either side of Munakata's shoulders and pushes him down onto the floor. He starts sucking at Munakata's collarbone while his hand reaches Munakata's thigh to lift it but then Munakata interrupts him. Suoh gives him a questioning look. "Not here," Munakata comments.

"Thought you had no problem doing it in the entryway," Suoh says, teasing.

Munakata frowns, "What makes you think that?"

"Who was pinning me against the front door just earlier?"

"This and that are two different matters," he explains.

"Because then it was me who was pinned and now it's you, is that it?" Suoh asks with a quirked brow.

Munakata huffs and after a moment, "Exactly," not really meaning it but still-

"How very selfish of you, Captain Munakata Reisi," Suoh says with a (fake) hurt pout.

The comment has the expected effect on Munakata who looks a bit repentant now. Suoh knows that Munakata hates hearing any reminder of his vices and his supposed-to-be flawless title in the same sentence, knows that it makes him feel guilty. So when Suoh lifts him to take him to the bedroom, Munakata lets himself being carried obligingly –obediently, even. Usually, Munakata would never let Suoh carry him like that, protesting that he's not a bride or something._ Who's being docile now, _Suoh thinks with a self-satisfied smile that he tries to hide by nibbling at Munakata's earlobe. Just like Munakata knows what strings to pull to get what he wants from Suoh, so does Suoh with Munakata. These months of frequent meetings ensured as much and they both take advantage of that fact as often as they can.

When they reach the bed, he puts Munakata down and they proceed to take off whatever clothes they hadn't removed yet when they came in. When they're fully naked, Suoh resumes his work on Munakata's collarbone, adding another mark next to the one he's already left and intending to leave as many as he can. That's a payback to the bites Munakata gave him earlier because he's sure these are going to stay for days (though he doesn't mind at all)

His hand's now on Munakata's cock, stroking the base with a teasingly light touch. Munakata bucks his hips to induce him to go harder but Suoh's not listening. He looks up at Munakata who is visibly annoyed now. "Get on with it," he snaps and Suoh grins at him.

"With what?" he asks, playing dumb, but at Munakata's scowl, he can tell that the guy would have no remorse throwing him out without even his clothes if he teases any further, so he drops it and asks, "Lube?"

Munakata points at his nightstand drawer and Suoh stretches his hand to take the bottle. He uncaps it and pours a generous amount on his fingers. Munakata puts his legs on either side of Suoh's hips to give him more room and Suoh leans to attack Munakata's throat now while his index finger circles Munakata's entrance for a moment and then he inserts it, but not too deeply yet. Munakata's breath hitches so Suoh gives him some time to get more comfortable before moving his finger. He starts making back-and-forth motions then adds a second finger. He's now alternating between stretching and thrusting and when he finds his prostate, he crooks them, too, and Munakata gives a choked moan.

He's about to insert a third finger, but Munakata stops him. "That'll do," he says and Suoh doesn't need to be told twice. He slicks his cock and enters Munakata slowly. He can feel Munakata's body tense but Munakata's legs tightening around his hips tell him not to stop so he doesn't until he's buried to the hilt. There, he pauses until Munakata's body adjusts the intrusion then starts moving, slowly at first. Munakata voices an appreciative sound and Suoh moves faster. Munakata's fingers which were gripping his shoulders are now digging on his back and Suoh knows these are going to leave bruises, but who cares now, he reaches one hand down to stroke Munakata's cock in rhythm with his thrusts. Munakata's hips try to meet his pace and Munakata's moans become louder. Suoh, too, is distantly aware that he's moaning as well, but he –_they're_ both too lost now to notice or even mind that, too busy trying to reach their completion.

Munakata comes first, immediately followed by Suoh who doesn't stop his ministrations until he's sure they're both completely spent. He doesn't pull out at once, trying to catch his breath and then he presses his forehead against Munakata's, smiling contentedly. Munakata smiles back at him, and damn if he doesn't look adorable now. Munakata leans to take Suoh's lower lip between his teeth and starts nibbling and sucking at it lazily. Suoh lets him and when he pulls back, Suoh gives him a quick peck on the lips before flopping next to him to sleep.

As he's about to drift off, he hears Munakata sit up and face away at the window. The night's very clear and the light reflecting on Munakata's alabaster skin makes it glow even more like the moon. _Flawless, _Suoh finds himself thinking, even with the red and dark marks at some spots on his back. The darker marks are from their last fling before tonight's, and Suoh can still remember how he left them. The memory makes him smirk. It's a bit surprising, though, how much time these marks take to disappear. He feels a sense of guilt for that, mingled with the urge to leave new marks but he shakes his head, trying to chase these thoughts –especially the last one.

Munakata looks very pensive, even seen from behind, and he starts a bit when he feels arms wrap around his waist and a chin rest on his shoulder. When he recognizes Suoh, though, he instinctively leans his head back against Suoh's and says softly, "You should be sleeping. You have a flight tomorrow."

"And you, too," Suoh counters.

"I don't have a flight, though," Munakata says with an impish smile.

Suoh clicks his tongue, "That's not what I meant, you idiot."

Munakata laughs, "I know." After a pause, he explains, "I was thinking that the sky's beautiful tonight."

Suoh looks outside and indeed, it's full of stars. After a short pause, Munakata continues, "You should have a favorable weather for your flight."

Suoh's a little taken aback by the comment. He didn't think that Munakata would worry so much about his flying conditions. Or well, he supposes that as his superior, he would, it's just that Suoh's surprised by the melancholic tone in which Munakata said that.

With deeper consideration, Suoh finds that something's a bit odd with Munakata tonight. It hadn't stricken Suoh at first, but now he realizes that even the fact of meeting Munakata at that bar was weird enough, as Munakata doesn't usually go for drinks on nights before a work day. Suoh wonders if there's something unusual that's happened to him and then it hits him. He presses his lips on Munakata's cheek and says, "A year tomorrow, huh."

Munakata's answer intuits him that his assumption was right, "Yes. A year since the biggest failure in my career."

"It wasn't your fault, you know," Suoh reassures him.

Munakata turns to meet his eyes, "And neither was it yours."

Suoh will have trouble believing that, but he understands that the perfectionist Munakata is would feel that it was _his_ responsibility, not Suoh's. Even if neither of them was actually to blame for what's happened, that common feeling of guilt is part of what drew them to each other. To lighten the atmosphere, Suoh voices that last thought, "At least it's allowed us to become like this, right?"

"But was it worth losing a companion?" Munakata says bitterly.

"...You're right." Of course it wasn't, he knows that, but Suoh can't help but ponder on what he'd had missed if he and Munakata had stayed on their hostile feelings toward each other.

He doesn't want to dwell on that thought, so he decides to change the subject altogether, "You talked about not having a flight earlier."

Munakata doesn't seem to follow him, "Yes?"

"You ever dreamed of becoming a pilot?" Suoh inquires.

"I've never really thought about it," Munakata admits.

"But aren't you curious about flying, though?"

"Well, I'm not opposed to the idea."

"So why don't you come with me some day?" Suoh offers. "On a short flight, of course. I know you're a stuck-up workaholic," he teases.

"Hm. Why not?" Munakata says, ignoring Suoh's rib.

"Its' settled, then," Suoh concludes, smiling, and he gives in to the urge of biting Munakata's neck, making the latter give a tiny sound of surprise. Suoh then unwinds his arms from Munakata's waist to run his hands on Munakata's chest, fingers teasing Munakata's nipples as he keeps sucking on his neck and throat.

"Suoh… " Munakata warns him feebly but Suoh just hums in response, tugging Munakata onto his lap. Munakata sighs. "Insatiable," he scolds, but he relents nonetheless, bringing a hand up to run his fingers through Suoh's hair.

Suoh smirks, "But so are you."

* * *

><p><strong>I want to bury myself in a hole right now (but don't worry, I'll still write the next chapter... in that hole *w*)<strong>


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